What I'm reading right now...

Having a blog means never having to say...I'm lacking for things to say. I've been so immersed in some great books recently. Although I'm usually juggling at least 6-8 great reads at time, the one I take with me to bed has been Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential".

If you've seen his show on the Travel Channel, you'll know that Bourdain is no lightweight. Condeming of so-called chefs such as Rachel Ray, he is tough, abraisive and sometimes crude. But what he always is is true.

Agents and publishers talk about the need for books to have a "strong voice." If you've ever wondered what that is, run, don't walk to pick up his book.

His tales of woe and wow in the kitchen are revelational. I shall never look at a Sunday brunch the same way again. As someone whose father owned several succesful restaurants, this is the stuff I never heard of. And as someone who frequents great restaurants quite often, I can honestly say I never look at anything in them -- from the bread to the waiters -- quite the same way. If you like to eat, read this book!

CW April 2008 Pick: "The 13th Tale by Diane Setterfield

One of the joys of reading an unforgettable book is the passion that comes in sharing what the reader has read and learned. When Diane Setterfield’s “The Thirteenth Tale” was published in hardcover in 2006, many of my book-loving friends called and e-mailed to say how amazing it was and how I needed to race to the bookstore to get it. But sometimes life gets in the way of a great read, and the novel remained on my list of books to read in the not-too-distant future.
After discussions with our passionate book club members, it’s clear this is indeed the perfect time. Charlotte Weekly’s Speaking Volumes book club selection for April is “The Thirteenth Tale.”

Borrowing from literary classics such as “Wuthering Heights” and “Jane Eyre,” the story is set in the mists of England, where glamorous, well-known author Vida Winter asks Lea’s Antiquarian Bookshop owner Margaret Lea to come to her estate and write her life story. While living in the stately Gothic home, Lea tries to untangle fact from fiction as family secrets, lost loves and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the last page entwine her and her subject. Setterfield’s first novel may be one of the most well-written books of the decade. She possesses incomparable storytelling skills; the result is a book you won’t want to put down.

New book, new location

To reach out to more book club members and see more of Charlotte, our well-established book club of three years will visit several bookstores in the months to come. Join us to discuss this riveting tale on Monday, April 21, at 7 p.m., at Barnes & Noble at Carolina Place Mall, 11025 Carolina Place Parkway, Pineville. Please RSVP at http://www.thecharlotteweekly.com/.

Oprah launches a Webinar

It was great. For 10 minutes. The best part was author Eckhard Tolle and Oprah chatting amongst themselves. It tanked when they took questions. Oprah, ditch the questions. Stick to what you do best. The information is great. Keep it comin'!

March 2008 Book Club Selection: "The Friday Night Knitting Club"

Knitting is hot! We chose the best of the literary bunch for our March pick. Join us Monday, March 17 at 7 p.m. to talk to author Kate Jacobs and find out more about this delightful book.

Februrary 2008 Book Club Pick " One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd"

Our February pick, suggested by book club member Audrey Li, is the entrancing tale that asks "What if?" duing America in the 1850s.

January 2008 Book Pick "Like Water for Chocolate"

This is my dream book! And our January selection. If you have time, read Laura Esquivel's other books, such as "Law of Love," "Swift as Desire" and "Malinche."

New Year, New Posts

Hello all!

It's happened to me: life!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Life took its tool.

But the most important news is that we're meeting tonight to discuss my all-time favorite book, "Like Water for Chocolate."

Join us at 7 p.m. at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at SouthPark Mall.

Be there or be square!

Exclusive movie screening "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"

Charlotte Weekly and Ballantyne Village Theatre will host a special advanced screening of Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Marisa Tomei. The movie is garnering great Oscar buzz and our screening will be held Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 7:15 p.m. at Ballantyne Village Theatre in Charlotte.

Seating is limited and you must R.S.V.P. to attend. Please e-mail your tiquet requests as soon as possible to Sean O'Connell at sean@thecharlotteweekly.com, Be sure to include the film's title in the subject line, and the number of people who will be attending the screeing in the body of your e-mail.
The screening will be a first-come, first-served affair, and all winners will be notified by e-mail.

Hope to see you there!
Alison

Check out the "Atonement" trailer

The movie is already garnering Oscar buzz as a potential Best Picture nomination. Check back here to find out the date and location for an exclusive showing of the movie.

CW Book Club Pick for Holiday season 2007: Atonement by Ian McKewan

This month, we're reading "Atonement" by Ian McKewan.

We're working on securing a date. Most likely it will be in early December. We're also working on securing a date for an exclusive movie preview. But in the meantime, I know a lot of readers are eager to start reading our pick.

Ian McEwan's symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness provides all the satisfaction of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from this master of English prose.

On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment's flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia ' s childhood friend. But Briony's incomplete grasp of adult motives - together with her precocious literary gifts - brings about a crime that will change all their lives.

As it follows that crime' s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.

Charlotte book events for November

With tons of great events this month, it's hard to choose which ones to go to. Circle your calendars and try to make as many as you can!

At Joseph-Beth Booksellers, SouthPark, 4345 Barclay Downs Dr., (704) 602-9800

Thursday, November 8 at 6:00 P.M
International Bestselling AuthorPATRICIA SCHULTZ discusses and signs 1,000 Places to See in the USA & Canada Before You Die . Join us for the latest installment of this very popular book. Mann Travel will be here to present brochures and information. We will also have Sharon Luggage here to give us some packing demonstrations. Join us for a wonderful time that will make you want to catch the next plane to...well, you will just have to wait and see the destinations that are covered. The demos begin at 6pm and Patricia Schultz will join us at 7pm.

Wednesday, November 14 at 11:30 a.m.
CHEF RODNEY FRIEDANK
Discusses and signs Soby’s New South Cuisine Cookbook
Rodney Freidank is a transplanted New Yorker whose first job, at age 16, was at a Long Island delicatessen. He later headed south to help out at a family-owned restaurant in Wilmington, North Carolina. Then he moved to Greenville to take a job at The 858 Restaurant, where he displayed his talent for bold flavors and his insistence on topnotch ingredients. He worked at the highly rated Occasionally Blues before signing on as chef de cuisine at Soby's. Check out this great cookbook highlighting Soby’s talented chefs.

Saturday, November 17 at 1:00 P.M.
Charlotte AuthorCURTIS CHISHOLM signs Balloons Filled with Water Balloons
Filled With Water is a reflective and engaging poetry collection which captures the pleasant and unpleasant experiences of life. The collection is made even more inviting as the author effectively blends information and imagination that make the work accessible for the novice and entertaining for the more seasoned poetry reader.

Tuesday, November 20 at 7:00 P.M.
Charlotte Writer’s Club host Novello Press Winner MIRIAM HERIN discusses and signs Absolution
Absolution is the story of Maggie Delaney, an idealistic wife and mother whose world implodes when her husband is murdered in a seemingly random act. When Maggie attempts to find out what really happened, her search leads her back to her Carolina roots and through the streets of modern-day Boston. In the jungles of Southeast Asia, she uncovers a legacy of secrets about the man she thought she knew – and the troubled world they shared as they came of age together.

Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 P.M.
North Carolina AuthorNANCY SMITH THOMAS discusses and signs Moravian Christmas in the South
This inviting book explores the Christmas celebrations of the Moravian Church in the South, whose members were marking the holiday as early as the 1780s in ways recognizable to modern Americans. This abundantly illustrated volume explores the many facets of traditional Moravian Christmas celebrations, including decorations, food and beverages, gifts, services, and music. Thomas discusses how these traditions evolved over time, within and outside the Moravian communities, as well as how certain non-Moravian Christmas traditions were incorporated into the Moravian customs.
For more information, visit www.josephbeth.com


At Park Road Books, 4139 Park Rd. (704) 525-9239

November 8th Thursday 7 pm
Notes From A Classroom: Refections on Teaching Charlotte Observer community columnist Kay McSpadden will be here to sign copies of her fascinating accounts of teaching school for over 30 years in South Carolina.

November 9th Friday 6 pm
Perils and Promises Francis Seymour will be here to sign copies of her book. Perils and Promises is a moving account of the spiritual calamity faced outside one's one's comfort zone.

November 10th Saturday 1pm
Cooking: First Presbyterian Church Recipes and Reflections from the Heart of Charlotte Come by and have some samples from this beautiful cookbook.

November 12th Monday 6 pm
Boone: A Biography Robert Morgan, bestselling author of Gap Creek & Brave Enemies, will be here to talk about and sign copies of his new biography of the American scout.

November 17th Saturday 2pm
Broken Hearts Pamela Miller will be here to sign her book.

November 18th Sunday 2 pm
Prince of War: Billy Graham’s Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire Cecil Bothwell will be here to sign books.

November 23rd Friday 2 pm
Jack’s Christmas J. Paige Straley of Charlotte will be here to sign copies of his new Christmas classic.

November 24th Saturday 11:30- 1:15
The Care & Feeding of an Athlete and The Care & Feeding of a Dancer Toni Branner will be here to talk about and sign copies of her books.

For more information, visit www.parkroadbooks.com.

Rowling Says Dumbledore Is Gay

The news broke on Saturday. I'm more surprised about the reaction than the news itself. Not that I ever really thought about Dumbledore and his sexual preferences. I don't have the time or inclination to think about what anyone does in the privacy of their own home. But a firestorm of conversation has started.

Here are my two cents: It doesn't matter!

The people who love and admire Dumbeldore will continue to love him. Those who have banned the Potter books will just see it as another reason why they won't let their children read them. Why must we pretend to live in a world of moral absolutes when the rest of the world is grey? That's madness!

Here's the story, if you missed it.

For the full story in Newsweek, click http://www.newsweek.com/id/50787


J. K. Rowling, author of the worldwide best-selling Harry Potter series, met some of her American fans Friday night and provided some surprising revelations about the fictional characters who a generation of children have come to regard as close friends.

In front of a full house of hardcore Potter fans at Carnegie Hall in New York, Rowling, sitting on the stage on a red velvet and carved wood throne, read from her seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," then took questions. One fan asked whether Albus Dumbledore, the head of the famed Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, had ever loved anyone. Rowling smiled. "Dumbledore is gay, actually," replied Rowling as the audience erupted in surprise.

She added that, in her mind, Dumbledore had an unrequited love affair with Gellert Grindelwald, Voldemort's predecessor who appears in the seventh book. After several minutes of prolonged shouting and clapping from astonished fans, Rowling added. "I would have told you earlier if I knew it would make you so happy."

In answer to the question "Did Hagrid marry?" Rowling replied that sadly, no. The half-giant had a flirtation with a giantess but she found him "a tad unsophisticated" and the relationship never went forward. In response to the audience's groans of dismay, Rowling said, jokingly, "OK, I'll write another book." And when the audience continued to express disapproval added, "at least I didn't kill him."

Other minor characters, according to Rowling, came to happier ends. Neville Longbottom, Harry's meek and hapless classmate, married Hannah Abbott, another classmate.

Books-to-movies just reached a whole new level

The conversation, and sometimes controversy, about whether great books can turn into great movies is getting even more serious. The agents who 'discovered' "The Kite Runner" manuscript have been lured to Random House from their home at Penguin and are now helping the aforementioned publisher turn great tomes into ideally, great flicks!

See the latest from Variety.

Random House, Focus take 'Dog'
Duo option Beth Raymer's gambling memoir
By DIANE GARRETT

Random House Films and Focus Features have optioned the bigscreen rights for "Lay the Favorite, Take the Dog," an upcoming gambling memoir by Beth Raymer.

Tome, which traces the scribe's journey into the world of professional sports gambling, is skedded to be published by Random House's Spiegel & Grau division in spring 2009. Division snared book and audio rights in an auction; bigscreen rights were negotiated separately.
Under their partnership, Random House Films and Focus jointly acquire bigscreen rights for lit properties and partner on all stages of development through marketing and publicity; co-productions are jointly owned, with Focus hanging onto worldwide distribution and sales rights.
Raymer fell into professional gambling in Vegas, where she started working as a cocktail waitress in hopes of making fast cash. Her gambling led her to New York and the Caribbean, with gamblers soon becoming her second family. But when she fell in love, she had to re-evaluate her life.

Raymer, an MFA candidate at Columbia U., will continue to report on offshore gambling in Central America under a recently awarded Fulbright Fellowship.

"Beth Raymer has that extremely fortunate and rare combination of having lived through some extraordinary times and having the means to write about them with assurance and style," said Julie Grau. "The world she opens up to her readers is fascinating, dangerous, memorable, and terrifically funny."

Random House Films prexy Peter Gethers said the book proposal "connected perfectly" with the shingle's literary and film sensibilities. "This is going to be a fun one," he said.

The project will be part of Focus's expanded production slate. "Reservation Road," the first film under the partnership, made its limited debut last weekend.

The Kite Runner Movie

Charlotte Weekly/Union County Weekly hosted an exclusive showing of "The Kite Runner" Monday, Oct. 8 at Ballantyne Village Theatre. Based on the best-selling book by Khaled Hosseini, the story is about two boys growing up in Afgahanistan before the revolution in the late '70s. More than 250 guests had the opportunity to watch this breathtaking movie, whose wide release date was postponed because of safety concerns over the two young Afgani actors.

This forum is a place to share your thoughts on the movie.

How did the movie compare with the book?

What impact did the movie have on you?

Would you recommend this movie to a friend? Why or why not?

Feel free to leave your thoughts here.

All the best,

Alison

*A special thanks to Sean O'Connell, CW/UCW's arts and entertainment editor for helping to make the screening happen.

October 2007 Book Club Pick: Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

From the stunning stained-glass window turned book cover, it would be easy to think that “Loving Frank” is the story of the private life of a controversial public man – Frank Lloyd Wright. But the book is far more than that. It’s an exploration of one woman’s life and her choices that brilliantly captures the struggle many women still face today.

This historical fiction is based on some nuggets of truth. Wright arguably made one of the most indelible imprints on American architecture. With his emphasis on harmoniously blending nature into private spaces, and his desire to create a uniquely American style, he created many waves in the architecture community. Those soon translated to the personal level after the brilliant, but difficult architect designed a home for Mamah Borthwick Cheney and her husband in Oak Park, Illinois at the turn of the century. Both trapped in loveless marriages, the two quickly became engaged by the other’s wit and charm, and a scandalous personal relationship grew.
Horan uses her training as a journalist to convey the details of Cheney’s unraveling heart and the excruciating decisions she was forced to make. Her characters ask questions such as, “What role do women have?”, “What use is it to stay in an unhappy marriage for the sake of the children?” and “What duty do adults have to themselves when it comes to their happiness?”

Although the story of “Loving Frank” is enmeshed in the details of Wright and Cheney’s relationship, it does what great literature is supposed to do: it makes you think. Horan creates a world so beautiful, readers might slow their page-turning just to be engrossed in her lushly written world a bit longer.

Join Charlotte Weekly’s book club on Monday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at SouthPark for a phone chat with the author of “Loving Frank.” R.S.V.P. at http://www.thecharlotteweekly.com/.

September 2007 Book Club Pick: Mockingbird by Charles Shields

CW/UCW's book club pick for September 2007 is "Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee" by Charles J. Shields.

A great book on literary's most unique authors.

Harry Potter Mania!

It's official! I'm in love!

The newest Potter book is easily the best in the entire series.

It may also be the most satisfying read I've dived into in the last five years. Great closure. Favorite chapter is the one right before the end where Harry and "the creature" are in somewhat of a limbo state. Just the best book ever!

Bravo, J.K.!

Congratulations Khaled Hosseini! This week's New York Times best-selling books

Congratulations to marvelous author Khaled Hosseini, whose "A Thousand Splendid Suns" -- our book club pick for June, is No. 1 on The New York Times' best-selling list.

Here are the top 10 hardcover fiction books for this week:

1 . A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, by Khaled Hosseini. (Riverhead, $25.95.) A friendship between two women in Afghanistan against the backdrop of 30 years of war.

2. THE QUICKIE, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. (Little, Brown, $27.99.) A police officer’s attempt to get back at her husband, whom she suspects of cheating on her, goes dangerously awry.

3. HIGH NOON, by Nora Roberts. (Putnam, $26.95.) A hostage negotiator must face down her unknown stalker.

4. THE TIN ROOF BLOWDOWN, by James Lee Burke. (Simon & Schuster, $26.) The Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux copes with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

5. LEAN MEAN THIRTEEN, by Janet Evanovich. (St. Martin’s, $27.95.) The New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum becomes a suspect when her ex-husband disappears.

6. UP CLOSE AND DANGEROUS, by Linda Howard. (Ballantine, $25.95.) After a suspicious plane crash, a woman struggles to find a way out of the Idaho wilderness.

7. THE FIRST COMMANDMENT, by Brad Thor. (Atria, $25.95.) Scot Harvath, a Homeland Security superagent, is stalked by a terrorist mysteriously released from Guantánamo.

8 . SOMEONE TO LOVE, by Jude Deveraux. (Atria, $25.95.) A haunted house in England holds the key to a young woman’s mysterious death.

9 . THE JUDAS STRAIN, by James Rollins. (Morrow, $25.95.) Sigma Force operatives trained in science search for the secret behind the re-emergence of an ancient plague.

10. BUNGALOW 2, by Danielle Steel. (Delacorte, $27.) A writer must deal with the effects of Hollywood success on her family life.

For the complete list, visit http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/index.html.

This week, our book club pick for August, "Water for Elephants" is No. 1 on the Paperback Fiction list!

What is your patronus?

Dear friend Regan White asks that question on her great blog, visit http://www.regansrants.com/.

I can't believe she took my seahorse! I had visions of Aquaman and my Avon toothbrush, circa three years old, but alas a new moniker must be found.

I do however love the idea of recognizing that there are always dementors amongst us. I'm not in for labelling, however it does reduce the stress of thinking you can reason with them. Who would want to be friends with a dementor? Only another dementor!

Potter update No. 3/What house do you belong to?

I'm not as far ahead as I had wanted to. I'm still middling about in the mid 300s but it makes me ponder what is it about Harry's story that has captivated the world over? Could it be that we long for a magical world beneath our mundane existance? There must be more to life than working and daily routines. Harry reminds us that we are more than what we think we are and capable of extraordinary things.

While I get back to the book, feel free to take the Sorting Hat test and see which house you belong to.

I took two of them and the results were the same:

I'm quite surprised! I think everyone wants to be part of Gryffndor.

But alas, I'm quite happy. The description of Ravenclaw's students says:

The sorting hat says that I belong in Ravenclaw!

Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose intelligence is surest."

Ravenclaw students tend to be clever, witty, intelligent, and knowledgeable.
Notable residents include Cho Chang and Padma Patil (objects of Harry and Ron's affections), and Luna Lovegood (daughter of The Quibbler magazine's editor).

Take the most scientific Harry Potter
Quiz ever created.

Get Sorted Now!